Your front bleeders are probably plugged
Remove them and soak them in wd40, pbblaster, etc. for several minutes
Then use a pick to scratch out as much of the crud as possible
Then use an air nozzle to blow them out, if you have one
at this point, I would completely remove the bleeders and see if anything comes out. If nothing comes out, then remove the banjo bolt for the flex line to the caliper and see if any fluid flows down the hose. If not, then remove the flex hose where it connects to the hard line. I am pretty sure fluid will flow then.
Then you can inspect the new hose for an obstruction. Also examine the old hose and if that screw is in the old hose, play with it and see what it does.
db4690 and keith:
I don’t think so. Although I didn’t remove the bleeder, I had it loose enough that if there was any fluid behind it the fluid would’ve come out around the bleeder (I would think).
I bought the MityVac hand pump at Harbor Fake and will give that a try this weekend to pull the fluid down to the calipers. But I’ll keep your suggestions in mind. I suppose it’s possible that there could be debris clogging the bleeder channel since I had both calipers apart and was sanding the inner bores a bit before installing the new seals and dust boots. I did wash the bores out with brake cleaner, but maybe the bleeders didn’t run out … wasn’t thinking of that at the time …
Hey - I was going to buy a set of metric flare wrenches from Harbor Fake (in case I end up disconnecting the hard lines again … don’t want to push my luck too much with the open box wrenches), but the reviews all say they’re junk (I guess they crack and break). Anybody have the same experience with these wrenches? Maybe just a bad batch somewhere (or in some point in time)? If they’re no good, where should I buy a set? Craftsman is always an option, I guess. That’s what I’ve always done in the past. Just kind of soured on them now over that aluminum jack that leaked from Day-1 (and they wouldn’t replace it).
At a minimum I need a 13mm. Maybe Lowe’s or Home Depot??
I think my metric flare wrenches came from AutoZone, my SAE are Craftsman. I only recommended removing the bleeders because you always start at the end for this type of troubleshooting, even when you “know” that is not the root cause.
Can I use the Permatex black stuff (that I’ve used for gaskets) on the threads of the bleeders? It’s the stuff that cures into a flexible rubber.
Someone had suggested that maybe the bleeders were leaking by the threads and to seal them up with some non-hardening sealant.
So is there a product to use for this or are you saying this shouldn’t be done and you’re supposed to either buy new bleeders, new ‘seats’ for the bleeders, or if those things fail, new calipers??
With the Permatex, is the problem that the cured material could get into the caliper body when the bleeder is opened later on? And if so, wouldn’t that be possible with any kind of sealant (that wasn’t made of brake fluid material)?
I have heard of people using teflon tape that plumbers use on pipe fittings for bleeders and you could probably get away with a little bit of rectorseal as long as you confine it to the threads, but no permatex.
I have used grease on the threads of bleeders when using a MityVac because the MityVac draws air in around the threads and it looks like the brake system is full of air when it is not. Its good for filling the brake lines and caliperss and getting a start on the bleeding, but you have to finish the old fashioned way.
If the bleeders are leaking when they are tightened down, it is not the threads. The bleeder valve must be replaced, but their cheap, I usually replace them when I rebuild a caliper anyway.
MityVac got the fluid pulled to both calipers. Ended up removing 8 oz (two reservoirs-full) from each side. Filled the MC incrementally as I went to make sure level stayed at or above the MAX line. However, never really saw the large bubbles subside. Pumped the handle to 20" Hg and the fluid just kept jumping and bubbling in the reservoir. Seemed like it was never going to end, so I just stopped to check the pedal for progress. Pedal works now, but it’s still not firm enough (probably only safe for speeds of 30 mph or less). Still, had no brake previously, so this is progress.
Do I just do another round, hoping the bubbles reduce to only the very tiny kind?
Two things:
1.) The fluid coming out looks like beer or urine. The fluid going in is clear. Could it be that I’ll be pulling out fluid until it runs clear?
2.) I only had to replace (via the MC) about 1/2 (maybe less) of the fluid I was pulling out. Is this an indication of air in the system (with the trapped air making up the difference). If so, then I’ll need to watch the MC more carefully now as, with less and less air in the system, the fluid level will drop more quickly? Is this true?
Or do I just abandon the MityVac now and pump the pedal manually?
The MityVac pulls air in around the threads of the bleeder. There is nothing you can do to stop that. When you start drawing clear fluid, then stop using the MityVac and start bleeding the old fashioned way.
If the brake fluid won’t flow freely, I would pull the new brake hoses that you put on and examine them closely. They may have been shipped with a protectant inside them that is still there.